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Once again, I’m not quite done with Halloween just yet but you’re probably keen on getting a move on with your Christmas holiday plans. London does Christmas really well, but the list of festive things to do in London is long enough to leave you wondering where to start. Queue for Winter Wonderland? Skate at Somerset House? Or just wander under the lights somewhere free?
This post is for first-timers visiting over the festive season and for Londoners who need a reason to leave the sofa in December. It rounds up 10 of the most festive things to do in London, from a Victorian market hall and department store windows to ice rinks, a riverside winter market and one very decorated pub. Only a few are markets and most can be done in a day or an evening, so you can mix and match.
I live in London, so I know how quickly the city fills up between late November and Christmas Eve. Under each pick you’ll find where it is, what to do there and when to go to dodge the worst of the crowds. For dates, ticket releases and the full list of lights and markets, my Christmas in London 2026 guide has all of it.
If you’re planning a wider winter trip, my day trips from London in winter are a good next step.
Just be warned: London at Christmas is PACKED! Well, anytime of the year, really, but especially during the holiday season. Head here my full guide to Christmas in London 2026.
Quick Guide: Festive Things to Do in London
- Location: Central and west London, plus Greenwich in the south east
- Getting around: Tube, buses and contactless payment. Greenwich is easiest by DLR, train or river bus
- Currency: Pound sterling (£)
- Best time to visit: Late November to mid-December for lights and markets. Go on a weekday morning to avoid the crowds
- Don’t miss: Winter Wonderland, ice skating at Somerset House and Leadenhall Market
- Heads up: Winter Wonderland and the ice rinks sell timed tickets, so book ahead
- Where to stay: see my London places to stay guide
Wander Through Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market is a Victorian covered market in the heart of the City and it’s the kind of place that makes you stop mid-step and look up. I know it’s stopped me many times on the way to Liverpool Street! The ornate roof is painted in deep green, burgundy and cream, the streets are cobbled and at Christmas the whole market is strung with lights and finished off with a big Christmas tree in the middle. If it looks familiar, that’s because it was one of the inspirations for Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter film, as well as location of the wizard and witch pub The Leaky Cauldron. So it’s a popular photo stop all year round.
It’s compact, so an hour is plenty and it fits easily around other plans in the City. The pubs and restaurants fill up at lunchtime and after work, so a weekday morning is the calmest time for photos. Bank and Monument are the closest Tube stations and both are a short walk away. Grab a hot chocolate, walk the length of the market and come back for another look once the lights are properly twinkling after dark.
Here’s a photo I took of it last Christmas:
Where: Gracechurch Street
Best for: photos, hot chocolate and a winter stroll
Browse the Windows and Hampers at Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason has been on Piccadilly since 1707 and it does Christmas in style. The window displays are worth a slow walk past and inside you’ll find the hampers, tea tins, biscuits and chocolates that make it such a popular place to buy gifts. There’s also a large Christmas tree inside the shop, which is a good backdrop for a photo if you can grab a clear moment. They make an incredible speculoos biscuit in a beautiful golden tin around the holiday season. It’s a great gift if you’re looking! If you’re looking for a fancy gift, their hampers are incredible!
It gets very busy, so a weekday morning is a better option. Browsing is free and the food hall is fun to wander through even if you’re not buying, but if you want to treat yourself, afternoon tea is the classic festive plan and you’ll need to book well ahead in December. You can always go back after sunset for the outside lights and Christmas decor! Green Park and Piccadilly Circus are both a short walk away and from here you can head up Regent Street to see the lights.
Where: Piccadilly
Best for: gifts, afternoon tea and window gazing
Step Into Covent Garden Christmas Village
Covent Garden is at its best in the evening, when the Piazza and the covered market are lit up and the Christmas tree glows. It’s also at its busiest. But look, Christmas in London IS incredibly busy. It’s one of those things you just have to accept and embrace 😅 The market stalls, pop-up events and street performers keep the whole area buzzing and the beautiful market with its legendary Christmas decorations are what make it so photogenic. Installations and dates change each year, so check my Christmas in London 2026 guide before you go.
It gets very crowded, especially at weekends and in the hour after work, so go earlier in the day if you can. One practical tip: Covent Garden Tube station only has lifts and stairs and the queues can be long, so it’s often quicker to get off at Leicester Square and walk for about five minutes. It’s also about a ten-minute walk from Somerset House, so it pairs nicely with the ice rink further down this list. You can find more tips like this about how to get around London like a pro here.
Where: Covent Garden
Best for: lights, stalls and pop-up events
Make a day of Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
Winter Wonderland takes over a big chunk of Hyde Park every year and it’s big enough to fill most of a day. There are markets, food and drink stalls, an ice rink, circus acts and rides, plus a Bavarian village for German-style food and drink and an ice-sculpture area for a more wintry photo stop. It’s busiest on weekend evenings, so a weekday afternoon is much more relaxed.
Tickets are sold in advance through the official ticket page, so book before you go and check the current entry rules. Wear layers and comfortable shoes, because there’s a lot of walking and the paths through the park can get muddy. Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch are the closest Tube stations and staying nearby means you can nip back to your hotel when your hands go numb, so search hotels near Hyde Park, especially around Lancaster Gate or Victoria which are more affordable areas than Mayfair. I’ve got more hotel recommendations here in my London neighbourhood guide.
Where: Hyde Park
Best for: a full day of markets, food and ice skating
See the Harrods windows and the lights around Sloane Square
Harrods is more of a destination than a shop, especially at Christmas. The Knightsbridge building is lit up at night, the windows are themed and the displays inside are worth a wander even if you’re not buying anything. Entry is free and the food halls are a good place to browse for gifts, chocolates and festive treats.
It’s busiest at weekends and in the run-up to Christmas, so a weekday morning is a better plan. Knightsbridge is the closest Tube station. Afterwards, walk down Sloane Street towards Sloane Square, which takes around 15 minutes and passes plenty of designer shops with their own Christmas displays. Sloane Square is also home to the Peter Jones department store, so you can keep browsing on the way. The Cartier shop there usually covers itself in decorations and Ralph Lauren places a Christmas coffee cart in the middle of the square.
Where: Knightsbridge
Best for: window gazing and a posh wander
Shop the Selfridges Christmas Shop Then Walk Regent Street
Selfridges opens its Christmas Shop early and it’s a fun place to browse for decorations, gift wrap and stocking fillers. The windows are themed each year and the food hall is good for festive treats, so it’s easy to lose an hour inside without buying a single thing. It was also a filming location for both Christmas classics Love, Actually and Bridget Jones’ Diary.
Oxford Street itself is packed in December, with pavements that move at a shuffle, so take your time inside and then head to Regent Street for the lights. It’s roughly a 10 to 15-minute walk east to Oxford Circus, where Regent Street curves south towards Piccadilly Circus and the lights above the street look great in the evening. Carnaby Street, Mayfair, Bond Street and Marylebone are all within easy reach if you want to keep wandering, and Hamleys is on Regent Street if you’re travelling with children. If you’d rather have someone point out the best displays, a Christmas lights tour covers the main streets in one evening.
Where: Oxford Street
Best for: decorations, gifts and lights
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Go Ice Skating at Somerset House
Skating at Somerset House is one of the most atmospheric ways to spend an evening in London. The rink sits in the courtyard of an 18th-century building, with the lights on and the facade lit up around you and the evening sessions are the ones to book if you want the full effect. Warm drinks are available from Fortnum’s Lodge, which is just what you need once your fingers start to freeze.
The rink is open day and night, but book ahead, particularly for evenings and weekends. Temple is the closest Tube station and it’s a short walk from Covent Garden and from Waterloo Bridge, so it fits neatly between the Covent Garden Christmas Village and the Southbank winter market. Crossing Waterloo Bridge on foot after your skate is a lovely way to get to the river views on the other side, not to mention being surrounded by some of London’s most iconic landmarks; London Eye and Big Ben on one side, St Paul and Tower of London on the other. Book your skating tickets here.
Where: The Strand
Best for: evening skating and festive lights
Eat and Drink at the Southbank Centre Winter Market
The Southbank Centre Winter Market runs along the river by the Royal Festival Hall, with wooden chalets selling handmade gifts, artisan stalls and festive food and drink. It’s a good place to graze your way through a few stalls and there’s igloo dining if you want to make an occasion of it. The views along the river make it one of the best places for a festive wander.
Between the Bridges is nearby and has more food, drinks and music and many of its events are free to enter. After dark everything is lit up, so evenings have the best atmosphere, while weekdays are calmer than weekends. Waterloo and Embankment are the closest stations. From here you can walk along the river to the London Eye in one direction or Tate Modern in the other. One practical tip: both the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre have free, clean toilets, which is worth knowing in central London in December.
Where: Southbank
Best for: food, drinks and river views
Pick Up Handmade Gifts at Greenwich Christmas Market
Greenwich Christmas Market is the one to visit if you want to buy something made by an actual person. The stalls are run by independent sellers, with handmade crafts, gifts, international street food, mulled wine and pastries, all in the middle of historic Greenwich.
It’s easy to turn into a full day out. Cutty Sark is right by the market, the Old Royal Naval College is a short walk away and if the weather’s clear you can walk up through Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory for the view over the Thames and Canary Wharf. Getting there is part of the fun: take the DLR to Cutty Sark, a train from central London or the river bus along the Thames and you can skip the Tube altogether.
Where: Greenwich
Best for: gifts, street food and mulled wine
Have a Drink at The Churchill Arms
The Churchill Arms is a traditional Kensington pub and it’s famous for going completely over the top with its decorations. The outside is covered in flowers all year round and at Christmas the facade is smothered in Christmas trees and lights, which makes it one of the most photographed pubs in London. Inside it’s packed with decorations and memorabilia too.
It’s popular, so expect it to be busy, especially in the evening and at weekends and you may have to squeeze in near the bar. For photos, go early in the evening when the lights are on and before the crowds arrive. The Thai food is a big part of the appeal, so stay for a warming dinner after your drink. Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington are the closest Tube stations and both are a short walk away. In fact, if you go up the road to Notting Gate and turn right, keep walking and you’ll get to Marble Arch, Oxford Street and all its lights!
Where: Kensington
Best for: a festive pint and photos
Plan Your Festive Trip to London
- Hotels: Booking.com for somewhere central. Book early for December; I’d recommend The Strand Palace so you’re right in the middle of the festive action!
- Tours and tickets: GetYourGuide or Viator for Christmas lights tours and guided evening walks
- Packing: warm layers and thermals, because you’ll be outside a lot
- Dates and lights: my Christmas in London 2026 guide
FAQ: Festive Things To Do In London
Winter Wonderland, ice skating at Somerset House, wandering Leadenhall Market, the Southbank Centre Winter Market and the Christmas windows at Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Selfridges are the ones people come back for.
Regent Street, Carnaby Street, Bond Street, Oxford Street and Covent Garden are the main ones, with Sloane Square near Harrods as a quieter option. Switch-on dates change each year, so check my Christmas in London 2026 guide.
Most open between mid and late November and run into December or early January, but each one has its own dates. My Christmas in London 2026 guide has them.
Entry and ticket rules change from year to year and rides and attractions are usually paid for separately. Check the official ticket page before you go.
Yes. Leadenhall Market, the street lights and the department store windows cost nothing, and there are free events at Between the Bridges on the Southbank.
Go on a weekday morning. It’s the quietest time for places like Leadenhall Market and Fortnum & Mason.
Most attractions close and the Tube doesn’t run on 25 December, so check TfL and each venue’s website before you plan anything.
If You Only Have One Day For Festive Things in London
Give Winter Wonderland a morning, skate at Somerset House in the afternoon and finish a day at The Churchill Arms under all those flowers. The rest slots in easily around them, and plenty cost nothing. Go on a weekday, wear more layers than you think you need and book the ticketed ones early.
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